Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is set for a new £1 million-a-year pay-hike.

The News of the World says Randy Lerner is determined to tie O'Neill down on a three-year deal with Villa on the verge of the Champions League. O'Neill has been happy to work with a 12- month rolling contract since his time at Celtic and currently earns around £3m-a-year at Villa.

But Lerner is concerned O'Neill's current deal leaves him open to an approach from a club in the big four within the next year.

Manchester United are certain to consider him when Sir Alex Ferguson finally retires while the positions at Liverpool and Chelsea could easily change in the near future.

The Villa chairman thinks drawing his boss into a slightly longer contract with a higher basic salary might be a short-term answer that will tempt O'Neill.